Vancouver
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Singapore
c320
Vancouver
hello! i'm moving to vancouver, british columbia and i'm debating whether i should get the mb clk 320 cabriolet or audi a4 cabriolet quattro as my main vehicle. from the styiling/cosmetic department, i prefer the clk 320 by far... however i understand that it rains in the lower mainland of british columbia pretty much from november to april, therefore i wonder if the clk 320 would perform well in that type of wet driving condition. audi a4 cabriolet on the other hand has the quattro / all wheel drive version, therefore i'm assuming that it could take the slippery roads better. my second question is do you think the clk would be ok on the 'sea to sky highway'? i will be driving up to whistler from vancouver a lot as well. thank you so much for the advise in advance. cheers!
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From: British Columbia
996tt, E55, X3 and a few others not worthy of mentioning here...
First of all, the A4 Cabs are front wheel drive (at least for the time being) and the CLK's are rear wheel drive, neither have FWD/AWD. If the Sea to Sky is going to be a regular route, then I would suggest you opt for the A4 Cab especially during the ski season. Just make sure you have some decent snow tires on. You could also consider the TT Roadster which comes with AWD albeit on the 225 bhp/6spd version only. I don't believe that there are any other convertibles out there with FWD/AWD.
Secondly, if you are planning to spend a lot of time at Whistler, I can only assume that you ski/snowboard. If so, you may want to consider an alternative ride altogether which could properly accomodate your gear notwithstanding the fact that both cars have through ski loads, a proper rack is the best way to go.
PM me if you want some contacts at local Audi/Mb dealerships.
Cheers.
Secondly, if you are planning to spend a lot of time at Whistler, I can only assume that you ski/snowboard. If so, you may want to consider an alternative ride altogether which could properly accomodate your gear notwithstanding the fact that both cars have through ski loads, a proper rack is the best way to go.
PM me if you want some contacts at local Audi/Mb dealerships.
Cheers.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2002
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Is the convertible going to be your ONLY vehicle in the household? If yes, I dont think you should get either one of them. As "canuck" has said, both cars dont seem to be too practical if you go to ski a lot. And you must have a FWD car (at least) with SNOW tires if you anitipate to go to Whistler a lot. Any MB except the ML or the 4matics will get you nowhere. Whistler has A LOT of snow during winter, not just like a trace in the city.
If the convertible is your second car, then you should get the MB. The fit and finish of the MB is much better than an Audi. I really dont think the Audi A4 convertible is worth CAD70K+. That car is way overpriced.
If the convertible is your second car, then you should get the MB. The fit and finish of the MB is much better than an Audi. I really dont think the Audi A4 convertible is worth CAD70K+. That car is way overpriced.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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From: British Columbia
996tt, E55, X3 and a few others not worthy of mentioning here...
Harris, trust you're enjoying our fabulous summer! IMO Audi produces the best interiors around in terms of fit, finish and appearance, yes more so than even Lexus. The recent addition of a TT to the household allowed me to have a closer look at Audi's manufacturing and I'm sorry to say that the TT is better built than any MB that we currently have (inclusive of AMG models). The '03 S Class has been upgraded tremendously from the previous year's model but a recent test drive of a '02 CL 500 only reminded me of how poor MB has become in recent years. You only need to look at the A8 to see how a C$100k car is supposed to look, smell and feel like. I was recently in London and took in some Bentleys, now thats what I'm talking about albeit on a different budget in comparison to A4's and Clk's. Cheers and good luck with your business.
Almost a Member!
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Sunny California
CLK320
You are right.
Audi do make great looking interior and the finishing is excellent. The only problem is the knobs and various buttons keep falling out! Also, rattle is another issue. They have a well documented history of quality issues and it is not resolved yet.
Thread Starter
Newbie
Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Singapore
c320
hello again, thank you very much for the help! i really appreciate it. well, the cabriolet is going to be my car (second car in household). my hubby is getting a fwd once we've moved to yvr. i'm going up to whistler not to go skiing but to set up a store/business. i could of course borrow my hubby's fwd, but sporadically i will have to drive my own car. i was actually in new york not too long ago for a layover and they happened to have the new york auto show while i was in town. i learned that audi is going to have a quattro/all wheel drive version for their current cabriolet starting in september. the a4 cabriolet is a cute car (very nice interior too btw for the cab), but i also saw the clk cabriolet as well on the show floor and i was in love instantly with the clk. but of course the clk will not come in awd 
. again thank you very much for your opinion(s).
. again thank you very much for your opinion(s).
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Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 104
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From: British Columbia
996tt, E55, X3 and a few others not worthy of mentioning here...
whistler
If you don't mind me asking, what plans do you and your husband have for Whistler? I too conduct some business in Whistler and if either of you have any questions, just ask. It should be exciting times for us in Vancouver and Whistler with 2010 on the horizon (albeit some time away) and I personally have great expectations for the local business environment.
Additionaly, what FWD/AWD is your husband contemplating? The VW Toureg has just been launched here and I think it looks great. The BMW X5 is getting facelifted this September and will come with more powerful engine plus some other cosmetic upgrades. And there's always the Range Rover which is a personal favourite.
Cheers.
Additionaly, what FWD/AWD is your husband contemplating? The VW Toureg has just been launched here and I think it looks great. The BMW X5 is getting facelifted this September and will come with more powerful engine plus some other cosmetic upgrades. And there's always the Range Rover which is a personal favourite.
Cheers.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2002
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Canuck: yes, we couldnt complain more about the excellent weather that we are having this summer. Well, I did go to an Audi dealership and checked out the new A8 about a month ago. I agree that the car is very well built. However, I think that car is also overpriced IMO. If I were to spend CAD100 on a luxury performance 4-dr sedan, I would choose a E55. I have a friend who is an Audi fan, he used to have an A6 2.7, because of continuous rattling in the cabin, he changed to a A6 4.2 a year later. And the 4.2 had the exact same rattling problem as his 2.7. Finally, he got sick of the 4.2 and bought a X5. Another friend has a TT and according to him, it has rattles everywhere too. I sure hope the A8 has a better finish, but of the MBs that I've owned so far, at least I havent experienced any rattling issue. Audi are nice cars, but I also heard many complaints about them.
You dont even need to mention Bentley....the entire Bentley is built by hand. The only car that can come close to a Bentley is the Maybach. You are several classes above us in here.
You dont even need to mention Bentley....the entire Bentley is built by hand. The only car that can come close to a Bentley is the Maybach. You are several classes above us in here.
Last edited by Harris; Jul 28, 2003 at 02:22 AM.
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Joined: Nov 2001
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sl and M-class E320 4Matic SLK350
I too live in snow country and would like to think that with the traction control that comes with the CLK Cabrio and with added studded snow tires the CLK could be a year round car. I've also been eyeing the 4 seat Audi convertible that will come with all wheel drive this fall as an alternative. Like you, I have to agree though that there is no comparison in the styling. The Audi is quite boxy and seems too much of a compromise. With Mercedes having added 4-matic to almost every other line it is too bad it has not made it to the CLK Class.
If you end up getting the CLK Cabrio and use it on the winter roads let us know if you found it capable. If it is of any help, one of the regular posters on the SL500 thread who lives College Station Pennsylvania where they had an extraordinary amount of snow this past year reports that he had no problems with his rear wheel drive SL500 equipped with snow tires.
If you end up getting the CLK Cabrio and use it on the winter roads let us know if you found it capable. If it is of any help, one of the regular posters on the SL500 thread who lives College Station Pennsylvania where they had an extraordinary amount of snow this past year reports that he had no problems with his rear wheel drive SL500 equipped with snow tires.
Member
Joined: Sep 2002
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From: British Columbia
996tt, E55, X3 and a few others not worthy of mentioning here...
:o the GT will be my first Bentley and at US$165k, it bloody well better not rattle or else I'm going to switch to a LS430 (which I believe is getting a facelift plus a 6 spd auto). 
Cheers.
Cheers.
Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 104
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From: British Columbia
996tt, E55, X3 and a few others not worthy of mentioning here...
Northbenz, you don't want to mess around with the Sea to Sky highway in the winter especially if the driver is new to driving in snow and ice. S'poregirl, if quattro is available on the A4 Cab, that plus snow tires will do you fine.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Member
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 104
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From: British Columbia
996tt, E55, X3 and a few others not worthy of mentioning here...
Harris, have you heard anything about the facelifted X5 with a 4.8l engine? I saw an article on Autoweek but it had no figures to go with it.
Cheers.
Cheers.
